8th February 2025 – 14th February 2025
LOCAL NEWS
No news reported.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Joint statement ECSA/A4E/T&E main messages
On Thursday, 13 February 2025, ECSA, Airlines for Europe (A4E), which represent the shipping and aviation sector at European level, along with the green transport group Transport & Environment (T&E) issued a joint statement calling on the Commission and the EU member states to ramp up the production of clean shipping and aviation fuels in Europe. T&E and the two industry associations highlight that meeting the targets of the European Green Deal and ensuring that these industries remain competitive requires immense investments. These investments should aim to produce clean shipping and aviation fuels to decarbonise these difficult-to-decarbonise transport sectors. According to the Draghi report, around 100 billion EUR in investment is needed annually for European shipping and aviation alone for the energy transition.
The joint statement urges for immediate action and proposes that the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal prioritises scalable renewable fuels for shipping and aviation. The Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) should ramp up the production in the EU of at least 40% of the fuels needed under FuelEU Maritime and ReFuelEU Aviation.
The three organisations also support the use of European and national ETS revenues to de-risk projects and the development of a matchmaking platform to facilitate access to clean shipping and aviation fuels. European Shipowners, A4E and T&E support infrastructure mandates to foster the development of ports and airports as renewable fuel hubs.
“The Draghi report has found that European shipping alone needs 40 billion euro annually to decarbonise. The Clean Industrial Deal must set the conditions to make clean fuels available for shipping. We need enormous investments for clean fuels, certainty through robust binding requirements, and simplification of access to public and private financing. This is vital to keep European shipping internationally competitive while ensuring a thriving, innovative industrial cluster” said Sotiris Raptis, Secretary General, ECSA.
“Europe badly needs an industrial strategy to scale e-fuels for shipping and aviation. Europe has the money, the know-how and the green goals. What it lacks is clever financial instruments to kickstart manufacturing and uptake of hydrogen-based fuels. We must act now to build the industries of the future or risk losing out to other global players once more.” said William Todts, Executive Director, T&E.
“Airlines and shipowners are coming together to deliver a simple message: we need affordable, scalable renewable fuels and innovative technologies now to help our industries decarbonise. This means the EU must step up and help unlock the vast public and private investments needed to make them a reality. There’s not a moment to lose and acting today will ensure our industries remain strong, competitive and more sustainable into the future,” said Ourania Georgoutsakou , Managing Director, A4E.
Related Article:
2. ECSA’s Recommendations on the European Oceans Pact
On Thursday, 13 February 2025, ECSA has submitted its response to the European Commission's call for evidence on the European Oceans Pact. ECSA’s Position Paper includes also our Union’s comment that ship finance should take into account the particularities and modus operandi of all shipping segments.
Recommendations:
- Maintain International Competitiveness: ECSA emphasizes the importance of a level playing field between European shipping and non-European competitors. A fit-for-purpose regulatory and taxation framework is essential to retain shipping companies in Europe and foster a thriving maritime cluster.
- Invest in Clean Shipping Fuels and Technologies: ECSA advocates for the production of low- and zero-carbon fuels for shipping, aiming for at least 40% of these fuels to be manufactured within Europe. This initiative should align with the Clean Industrial Deal to scale up production and strengthen the maritime value chain.
- Ensure Access to Finance: Utilizing EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) revenues to bridge the price gap between conventional and low-carbon fuels is recommended. Additionally, enhancing European ship finance through diverse financing tools will support innovative and transitional projects across all shipping segments.
- People-Centered Transition: Recognizing the need to reskill approximately 800,000 seafarers for the green transition by mid-2030, ECSA calls for support from the Commission and Member States to future-proof the workforce.
- Support Renewable Offshore Energy Production: ECSA highlights the role of shipping in enabling renewable offshore energy production, particularly through offshore installation and service vessels. Retaining technological leadership in this area is deemed critical for Europe's energy security and decarbonization efforts.
- Maritime Spatial Planning: ECSA underscores the importance of maritime spatial planning for the safety of navigation, advocating for consultation processes that consider existing shipping lanes when developing national maritime spatial plans.
- Collaboration Along the Maritime Value Chain: The competitiveness and decarbonization of ships depend on collaboration among various actors, including shipyards, equipment manufacturers, shipowners, ports, and fuel suppliers.
- Protect Marine Biodiversity: ECSA emphasizes the need to reduce underwater radiated noise to minimize disturbances to marine life and to manage biofouling to prevent the spread of invasive species. The European Oceans Pact should align with International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines on hull cleaning and encourage the adoption of non-toxic, long-lasting coatings. Additionally, promoting measures to prevent whale strikes, such as routing measures in high-risk areas, is recommended.
For more details on this action, we draw your attention to the attached Circular and the Position Paper.
Related Articles:
Attachment 1: ECSA C-14121 For action by Friday COB - European Oceans Pact: ECSA's answer to the call for evidence
Attachment 2: ECSA’s Recommendations on the European Oceans Pact
3. 2025 Commission work programme adopted
On 12 February 2025, the European Commission published its 2025 work programme, outlining its ambition to boost competitiveness, enhance security, and bolster economic resilience in the EU. The work programme focuses on the flagship initiatives the Commission will take in the first year of its mandate, responding to the issues that matter most to Europeans.
Key deliverables:
- Sustainable Prosperity and Competitiveness: The newly launched Competitiveness Compass will guide sustainable growth efforts, with the EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy empowering entrepreneurs through better access to capital. At the heart of the collaborative plan for decarbonisation and competitiveness is the Clean Industrial Deal, which will pave the way towards a proposed 90% emission-reduction target for 2040.
- Defence and Security: Amid tensions in the geopolitical landscape, the EU is intensifying efforts to safeguard security and ensure peace, unveiling plans to build a robust future for European Defence. By investing collectively and strategically with NATO's cooperation, the EU aims to reinforce its defence industry and reduce dependencies. The Preparedness Union Strategy will enhance crisis anticipation and resilience, reinforced by initiatives like the EU Stockpiling strategy and the Critical Medicines Act to secure key resources.
- Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model.
- Sustaining our quality of life: The Commission will present a Vision for Agriculture and Food to ensure a stable framework for farmers and outline a roadmap for key proposals. The Ocean Pact will create a unified framework for ocean policies, aiming to preserve ocean health and boost the EU blue economy. Additionally, the European Water Resilience Strategy will adopt a source-to-sea approach to manage water resources effectively, addressing climate change impacts like floods and droughts. A simplification package of the Common Agriculture Policy will address sources of complexity and administrative burden for farmers and national administrations.
- Protecting democracy and upholding values: Initiatives like the Democracy Shield will tackle threats like rising extremism and disinformation. The Commission also plans to enhance strategies to combat discrimination based on gender, disability, sexual orientation, or race, including a renewed LGBTIQ Equality strategy and a new Anti-racism strategy.
- A global Europe: leveraging our power and partnerships: Whilst working for Ukraine's freedom remains a priority, the EU is committed to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in the Middle East. A Mediterranean Pact and Black Sea strategy will focus on regional cooperation, economic investment, and security, and a new Strategic EU-India agenda will provide a comprehensive approach to pinpoint areas of common strategic interest.
- Delivering together and preparing our Union for the future: The Commission plans to present a new Multiannual Financial Framework focused on simplifying access to EU funding and enhancing financial impact to support national, private, and institutional financing. Additionally, a focus on pre-enlargement policy reviews will further assess the consequences and impacts of enlargement on all EU policies guaranteeing that our policies can continue delivering effectively in a larger Union.
Related Article:
European Commission 12/02 - A bolder, simpler, faster Union: the 2025 Commission work programme
4. Flag-state misuse hampering seafarer abandonment cases, warns ITF
Several flag states are impeding attempts to resolve abandonment cases, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation. The issue over flag states was revealed in the latest seafarer abandonment findings supplied by the ITF to the International Maritime Organization. “The ITF has seen several cases in which the flag of a vessel has been withdrawn during the processing of an abandonment case. This practice must be stopped,” it said. The ITF’s Fair Treatment of Seafarers report outlined that the flag state should be expected to play a crucial role in the resolution of any abandonment.
“Withdrawing the flag before the case is considered resolved leaves the crew without vital support,” it added.
The flag states in question have not been revealed by the ITF. The report indicated that, in some instances, changes of flag also occurred when a live abandonment was in progress, something that should equally not be acceptable, it added. The ITF’s figures also showed that out of its total abandonment figures (312 vessels in 2024), “alarmingly” 20 cases were reported on vessels on which there was no flag, or a flag could not be identified.
Related Articles:
Attachment 3: TradeWinds 07/02 - Flag-state misuse hampering seafarer abandonment cases, warns ITF
Safety4Sea 10/02 - ITF: Flag state misuse delays the resolution of abandonment cases
5. US TREASURY REPORT
The US Treasury Report for all actions reported is hereby attached.
Related Article:
Attachment 4: US Treasury Report for week 08/02/2025 – 14/02/2025
6. PIRACY REPORT
The Piracy Report for all actions reported is hereby attached.
Related Article:
Attachment 5:Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, for the period between 08/01/2025 –05/02/2025
Nothing important to report from the House of Representative, the IMO and the ILO.